Catalyst



Patented June 17,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

WALLACE B. VAN ARSDEL, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN COMI-PANY, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

GATLYST.

No'IDrawing.

To all whom itmag concern: I

Be it known that I, WALLACE B. VAN ARsDnL, citizen of the United States,residing at Berlin, in the county of Coos and State of New Hampshire,have invented new and useful Improvements in Catalysts, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to produce a highly active andbulky catalytic material for use in the hydrogenation of fatty acids,their glycerides and esters.

I have found that silica gel, when used as a carrier for the catalyticmetal as herein described, produces a bulky catalytic material which cansuccessfully be used for the purposes stated.

In accordance with my process, I mix creamy precipitated nickelhydroxide with a pure sodium silicate solution and then neutralize thesodium silicate with dilute hydrochloric acid insuflicient to dissolvethe nickel hydroxide. (Note: This can be done conveniently by adding anindicator such as phenolphthalein, and adding acid just to the end pointof the indicator.) As a result of this operation, a silica gel isprecipitated in admixture with the gelatinous nickel hydroxide. Thismixed gel is then dried and washed to remove the soluble salt resultingfrom the reaction. It is then calcined at a temperature of approximately450 C. to change the nickel hydroxide to nickel oxide, after which themass is again washed, and, after bein dried, is reduced in5 hygrogen ata suitab e temperature, say 3 0 The precipitated nickel h droxide may beprepared from any suitab e soluble nickel salt, such for example asnickel chloride or 10 nickel sulphate by reaction with caustic soda andremoving the precipitated h droxide from the soluble products of t ereaction by filtrationor settling. When sodium silicate is in admixturewith the prel.5 cipitated nickel hydroxide and it is treated with justsuflicient dilute hydrochloric acid to precipitate silica gel withoutdissolving the mckel salt, the reaction ma be ex ressed as follows:Ni(OI-I) --l-l l'a 10,.

Application filed October 11, 1921. Serial No. 507,081.

H O. The silica gel, produced by this re action, is colloidal and itsbulk is very large,

is highly absorptive, and has a very large surface exposure. While theproportions of sodiumsihcate to nickelhydroxlde may be varied, I havefound excellent results to be secured by using such proportions that thecatalytic material when reduced contains approximately 21.5% totalnickel.

When dilute acid is added to the suspension of nickel hydroxide in asodium silicate solution, a mixed gel results, as previously explained,which possibly or probably forms a molecular mixture, so that on dryinga solid solution is produced. Hence, when the nickel is formed byreduction of the mass, the nickel is disseminated in or throughout theranules of the silica. This impregnation 0% the silica with the nickelproduces a catalytic material havinga high degree of activity.

What I claim is 2- 1. A process of producing a catalytic material, whichcomprises mixing gelatinous nickel hydroxide with a sodium silicatesolution, precipitating silica gel therein by treatment with apredetermined amount of acid insuificient to dissolve the nickelhydroxide, calcining the mixed gels to precipitate nickel oxide in thesilica gel, and reducing the nickel oxide.

2. A process of producing a catalytic material, which comprises mlxinggelatinous nickel hydroxide with asodium silicate solution, treatin themixed gel with a quantity of acid sufliclent to precipitate silica gelbut insuflicient'to dissolvethe nickel compound, thereby impregnatin thesilica gel with the nickel oxide, and re ucing the nickel oxide.

3. A process of producing acatalytic material, which comprises mixinggelatinous nickel hydroxide with a solution of sodium silicate,precipitating a silica gel from such sodium silicate, producing a mixeddehydrated gel of nickel hydroxide and silica, and reducing the nickelhydroxide.

In testimonywhereof I have aflixed my signature.

